Tauranga's Baypark entertainment complex will host the
next round of the 2012/13 D1NZ National Drifting
Championship over the January 19-20 weekend in a move series
organiser Brendon White says is all about keeping the sport
fresh for drivers and fans alike.

"We're a young
sport and a vibrant sport and we like to mix it up a bit -
in this case by creating an all-new event in a part of the
country we've never been before at a time of the year when
there are still a lot of holidaymakers in town."

Like the Mt Smart course used for the past two seasons
in Auckland, and the new Whangarei one used for the first
time this season, the Tauranga one will be held in a tightly
defined space, in this case the large carpark behind the
Baypark arena.

Car park courses are popular in the
home of drifting, Japan, and White says they tick all the
boxes as far as a successful drift event is concerned.

"From a start you can - as we are doing here - take the
sport to the people, then there's the fact that the action
is in an enclosed space so they're good for the fans. The
drivers like them too because though the speeds are lower
than they are at permanent tracks like Manfeild or Pukekohe
there's the added challenge of keeping the car off the
wall."

White says that he has had his eye on the
Tauranga/Mount Maunganui area and a mid-summer round of the
popular Cody's D1NZ Drift series for a couple of years now
and believes that the Baypark event will be well received by
fans, holiday-makers and the general public alike.

"To my knowledge this is the first time in a long time -
since the old Bay Park motor racing circuit closed in 1995
anyway - that the "Bay area has hosted a round of a national
championship motor racing series and from what people tell
me those meetings used to be massive so I am super-stoked
that Tauranga City Venues, Tauranga Council and the
residents have allowed us to bring our show to town to show
the province what this new sport of drifting is all about."

Speedway at the new Baypark stadium has obviously
taken up some of the slack since the old Bay Park motor
racing circuit was closed. Not all though as a strong local
drift scene attests.

Tauranga-based international
Cole Armstrong (V-Energy Nissan Skyline R34) is the best
known Bay of Plenty driver currently contesting the Cody's
D1NZ series. But he is by no means the only one with talent,
the list of local drivers entering their home event
including Drew Donovan (Mag & Turbo Warehouse Tauranga
Nissan S15 V8) and his partner, the country's top female
drifter Jodie Verhulst (Mag & Turbo Warehouse Toyota Supra),
as well as Aden Omnet (Aden's Tyres Toyota Altezza) and Te
Puke driver Ben Belcher (Green Brothers Racing Mazda RX7).

Though entries are not yet officially closed yet
White says he believes fans will see more than 60 drivers
from throughout the country battle it out for D1 or Pro-Am
honours at the Baypark meeting over the January 19-20
weekend.

There will also be
considerable interest in the re-appearance at a Cody's D1NZ
series round of former V8 Supercar star Shane van Gisbergen.
The young Aucklander shocked the V8 Supercar world when he
announced he was leaving that series and returning home at
the end of the 2012 season but after thoroughly enjoying his
drift debut at the opening round of this season's Cody's
D1NZ series at Manfeild in October he has agreed to complete
the balance of the series rounds back here in New Zealand
sharing the Rattla Motorsport Ford Falcon V8 with car owner
Shane Allen.

The Tauranga round is also the second
of three carrying points for the series' BP Ultimate 98
Triple Crown (the others were the opening round at Manfeild
and the penultimate one at Christchurch's Powerbuilt Tools
Raceway at Ruapuna Park in late March) with round one winner
Curt Whittaker currently leading that category.

Tickets for the Baypark Tauranga event are on sale on
Ticketmaster now and there will be gate sales ($10 per adult
on Saturday, $20 per adult on Sunday) at the venue on both
days.

The two-day event sees D1 and Pro-Am practice
and Pro-Am qualifying on Saturday then the Pro-Am Top 16 and
D1 qualifying and Top 32 on Sunday, Sunday being the main
competition day with the best times for the event being
between 11.30am - 4.00pm.

Ends

CAPTIONSWhangarei driver Daniel
'Fanga Dan' Woolhouse (Castrol Edge Holden Commodore) and
Aucklander Andrew Redward (Achilles Tyre Mazda RX7 V8) will
be two of the drivers to watch out for at the third round of
the 2012/13 Cody's D1NZ National Drifting Championship
series at the new Baypark venue in Tauranga over the January
19-20 weekend. Photo credit: Erron Soon for Cody's

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